Governing Coalition Braces for Reform

By
Klas Bergman, Special to The Christian Science Monitor /
December 12, 1989

PRAGUE

THE three-week Czechoslovak revolution is over, but now the difficult part begins. ``We have not yet won, but we have had great success,'' said Civic Forum leader Vaclav Havel Sunday to the huge crowd on Wenceslas Square.

The country now enters a very different stage with a new government where the Communists are in minority for the first time in 41 years. And soon it will also have a new president, who will most likely be Mr. Havel.

He will, however, have some competition from at least one other national symbol - deposed reform Communist leader Alexander Dubcek, who also declared his candidacy Sunday. The new president is to be elected by the Federal Assembly within two weeks.

The new government's first priorities are to prepare for free elections sometime during the first half of next year, and to initiate economic reforms for the stagnant economy.

``We are fully aware of our moral and political responsibility before society,'' said new Prime Minister Marian Calfa when he introduced his Cabinet. Civic Forum expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the complicated negotiations about the composition of the new Cabinet.

The government consists of 10 Communists, seven independents, two socialists, and two from the People's Party. Civic Forum directly supports nine of these, including two of the Communists and the two representatives from the People's Party.

Only three members of the new Cabinet were also part of the all-Communist government slightly over one week ago. One of these is Mr. Calfa. And 11 of the present ministers were also members of the previous coalition Cabinet, which only lasted for one week in Czechoslovakia's new revolutionary atmosphere. Foreign observers here in Prague could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the list of the new ministers.